Playing For The Leader Of The Free World

Organizers had months to plan and prepare for the Inaugural Parade. But the countdown for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps started only four weeks before the parade in Washington, D.C.

“It was kinda shocking,” said Steven Buckley who is a member of the Boston Crusaders.

The Corps would not normally meet until the beginning of the summer when its members usually rehearse for their traditional tour in Florida. However, this year crew members had to adjust to the tough Inaugural Parade schedule.

“December 18 we got a notification from the parade commission,” explained Tom Spataro who is the Executive Producer of the Boston Crusaders. “Once we found out that the Corps was selected to perform, we kind of put all the wheels in motion. We have been working really hard for the last few days to get all the people here.”

WEBN-TV met today with the Boston Crusaders at a local high school in Bladensburg, Maryland where every classroom, hall, and even gym were packed with rehearsing 140 crew members.

The extensive rehearsing days start would around 8 a.m. and last till 10 p.m. with breaks for lunch and general meetings. Without revealing the details of the upcoming performance, Buckley said they will play a “mash up of some patriotic tunes.”

The Boston Crusaders would be one of only two bands from Boston scheduled to perform for the President. The last time the Crusaders performed at an Inaugural Parade was in 1965 for President Lyndon B. Johnson.